Illuminated Cabinet Signs & light boxes
Custom light boxes for your New Orleans business
Simple, elegant sign solutions fabricated in-house for bright, consistent illumination, keeping your storefront visible day and night.
What ARE LIGHT BOX SIGNS?
Fabricated illuminated rectangles & custom shapes
Light box signs, also called illuminated cabinet signs, are enclosed sign cabinets with an internally illuminated face, designed to keep your business name and branding visible around the clock. Unlike surface-lit signage, the light source sits inside the cabinet itself, producing a bright, even glow that reads clearly from a distance whether it's noon or midnight.
Built to last
The other guys
Not all light boxes are built the same. Lower-grade materials may look identical on day one, but quickly reveal their limits. Poor fabrication leads to loose faces, failing mounts, uneven lighting, yellowing plastics, corroded paint, and peeling vinyl.
These issues hurt appearance, create safety risks, and drive up repair costs. Choosing an experienced sign provider means your signage is built to last from the start.
Our record of longevity
For illuminated cabinet signs, OPA uses commercial-grade translucent acrylic faces paired with high-output LED modules. This keeps light distribution even across the full face, prevents hot spots and shadowing, and holds color and brightness consistently over years of Louisiana heat and humidity. Aluminum-frame cabinets are sealed and weather-rated for coastal conditions, so your sign holds up through New Orleans summers and Gulf Coast storm seasons.
mounting styles
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SINGLE FACED BUILDING-MOUNTED
Wall- and canopy-mounted light boxes designed to work within a facade's existing architecture
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FREESTANDING DOUBLE-FACED
Elevated light box signs built for visibility from the roadway, a common fit for gas stations, shopping centers, and businesses in vehicular districts. Finished with a simple single pole or fabricated base.
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FABRICATED BRACKET
Mounted perpendicular to a building on a fabricated bracket, illuminated blade signs project a business's name or logo out over the sidewalk
FABRICATION APPROACHES
Push-though acrylic lettering cabinets
For a more dimensional, upscale look, push-through lettering and graphics extend beyond the cabinet face, catching light along the edges for a raised, glowing effect. This style is popular with hospitality, medical, and professional office signage across the Gulf South, where brands want illumination with a more refined finish than a flat acrylic face.
Custom fabricated shapes
Light boxes aren't limited to rectangles. OPA fabricates custom-contoured cabinets that follow a logo, icon, or brand shape. This gives businesses in competitive retail corridors and shopping centers a sign that stands apart from the standard box format next door.
Simple acrylic-faced cabinets
The classic light box build: an aluminum frame housing LED modules behind a translucent acrylic face. This is the workhorse format for storefronts, strip centers, and roadside signage throughout the New Orleans metro. Acrylic faces can be painted for block out effects at night, or utilize translucent vinyl for full-face illumination.
Cabinet bodies can be custom-painted to match any brand or building color.
Channel letter cabinets
For businesses that want the dimensional look of channel letters with the built-in illumination of a light box, OPA fabricates channel letter sets mounted directly to a cabinet face. Though not technically a sign cabinet, these signs are often permittable in the same districts as a traditional light box and can provide a deep, dynamic, dimensional solution.
UL LISTED
OPA Signs & Graphics is a UL Listed sign manufacturer, meaning our illuminated signage is fabricated in accordance with rigorous safety and electrical standards verified by Underwriters Laboratories.
This certification ensures our light boxes and electrical components meet nationally recognized safety requirements, helping streamline permitting, satisfy landlord and municipal codes, and ensure reliable long-term performance.
MORE SIGNS
If you dream it, we can make it.
OPA’s custom fabricated sign options are broader than just illuminated cabinets and light boxes.
Explore vehicle wraps, blade signs, printed panels, wall logos, custom murals, and more.
Start Your Project
Thinking inside the box
Know your business needs more visibility after dark but not sure which cabinet style fits your building? Our team designs, fabricates, and installs custom illuminated cabinet signs for New Orleans businesses and organizations from concept to install.
FAQs
Have questions about custom light boxes and channel letters?
Start below, but remember our New Orleans team is ready to help.
Monday-Friday 8-4:30pm 📞504-524-1415
What is the difference between a cabinet sign and a light box sign?
"Cabinet sign" and "light box sign" refer to the same product, an enclosed sign structure with an internally illuminated face. The terms are used interchangeably across the sign industry and in New Orleans specifically, so businesses researching either term will find the same style of signage from OPA.
How much does an illuminated cabinet sign cost in New Orleans?
Cost depends on size, shape (standard rectangular vs. custom-contoured), mounting style (wall, pole, or blade), and illumination type. A straightforward rectangular light box for a storefront typically costs less than a custom-shaped or push-through acrylic cabinet. OPA provides free quotes based on your building, location, and design goals.
Do I need a permit for a light box sign in Orleans Parish?
Most illuminated signage in New Orleans requires a permit, and requirements vary by district. Historic areas like the French Quarter, Marigny, and Garden District have additional design review standards through the Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) or Vieux Carré Commission (VCC). OPA handles permitting and design review coordination as part of the fabrication and install process.
How long do LED-illuminated cabinet signs last?
LED modules used in modern cabinet signs typically run 50,000+ hours before significant dimming, and OPA's sealed, corrosion-resistant cabinet construction is built to hold up against New Orleans humidity, salt air, and storm-season conditions for years of reliable use.
Can a light box sign be a custom shape instead of a rectangle?
Yes. OPA fabricates custom-contoured cabinets that follow a logo or icon shape, in addition to standard rectangular formats, a common request for businesses in shopping centers and retail corridors who want to stand out from neighboring tenant signage.
What's the difference between a light box and a blade sign?
A blade sign (also called a projecting sign) is a specific type of light box mounted perpendicular to the building on a bracket, rather than flush against the wall. Blade signs are double-sided and designed for pedestrian visibility in dense corridors like Magazine Street and the French Quarter, while standard wall-mounted cabinets face traffic head-on.
Can channel letters be mounted to a light box cabinet?
Yes. OPA fabricates hybrid signs combining raised, individually illuminated channel letters mounted to a cabinet backer, a popular option for shopping center tenants who need a uniform sign format alongside distinct brand identity.
Does OPA install light box signs outside of New Orleans proper?
Yes. OPA fabricates and installs illuminated cabinet signs across the greater New Orleans metro and Gulf South, including Jefferson Parish, St. Tammany Parish, and surrounding communities.
Are illuminated cabinet signs energy efficient?
Modern light box signs use LED illumination rather than older fluorescent or neon setups, which draws significantly less power while producing brighter, more consistent light. This lowers energy costs and maintenance needs over the life of the sign.
How do I get a quote for a cabinet sign in New Orleans?
OPA Signs & Graphics designs, fabricates, and installs illuminated cabinet signs in-house from concept through final install. Contact OPA for a free consultation and quote based on your building, brand, and local permitting requirements.